11 COUNTS ADDED TO 13 AGAINST TRUCKER

Cedar City police have added 11 felony counts to the 13 charges already filed against Ogden trucker Blaine Hogge Nelson in a series of sexual assaults.

Nelson, 33, was arrested Saturday and charged in Ogden's 3rd Circuit Court on Monday. Later in the day, authorities brought additional counts against him in Cedar City's 9th Circuit Court.Meanwhile, Wyoming authorities said Tuesday that Nelson is being investigated in at least nine burglaries there. Further, Arizona law enforcement officials are exploring possible Nelson linkage to crimes in that state.

Iron County Attorney Scott M. Burns said he filed the charges against Nelson after Ogden police took statements from the defendant purportedly connecting him to five sexual attacks reported in the southern Utah community in July and December.

Burns said a gun found in Nelson's possession by Ogden police allegedly was stolen from a Cedar City woman after she was sexually abused in December.

Laramie, Wyo., Police Detective David O'Malley said that in the nine burglaries being investigated there, four involved sexual assaults on wom-en. He said five occurred July 24 and four Jan. 31 of this year.

O'Malley said he will visit Ogden later this week to question Nelson about two other rapes.

In Wickenburg, Ariz., Police Detective John Rockhill said he also will go to Ogden this week to question Nelson. Rockhill said he wants to ask Nelson about two sexual assaults of women in their homes in July and August of last year.

Ogden Detective Capt. Marlin Balls said the assailant's methods in each of the jurisdictions were the same. A man entered the homes of women, threatened them with a knife and sexually assaulted or abused them. He often took money from the homes.

"It's like watching instant replay on TV," Balls said.

Comparing Ogden's reports with Laramie's, O'Malley said, "Other than the form that they're written on, you can hardly tell them apart."

Balls said Nelson continues to be helpful with his own investigation.

"He's cooperating with everything he can remember," the captain said.

Nelson was arrested Saturday an hour after and a mile away from a woman who reported being raped in her central Ogden home.

He is charged in that early morning attack and three others on Ogden women in their homes March 7, 11, and 15.

The probable-cause statement filed in 9th Circuit Court bases its allegations on statements made by Nelson, physical evidence found at the scene of the Cedar City crimes and information relayed by Ogden police, Burns said.

The charges include five counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault, five counts of first-degree felony aggravated burglary, a second-degree felony count of theft of a firearm and a misdemeanor charge of theft of $100 in cash from one of his alleged victims.

He is accused of raping one woman in Cedar City and sexually abusing four others.

In Ogden, the charges are nine counts of aggravated sexual assault and four of aggravated burglary.

A preliminary hearing is set for April 13 in the Ogden case.

Burns said he will wait for the resolution of the Ogden cases before asking that Nelson be transported to Cedar City for prosecution.

Nelson was being held in the Weber County Jail Tuesday in lieu of $140,000 bail.